Dominick (Mimi) Scialo: Feared Colombo Capo

Dominick (Mimi) Scialo was active in nearly all criminal rackets including gambling, shylocking, extortion, strong-arm, murder, hijacking, and arson. He had a large following and was not only very respected but also very well-liked by his men.

Dominick (Mimi) Scialo was born on July 11, 1927 at 2827 W. 15th Street in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. He later lived at at 2323 E. 5th Street. He stood at 6 feet tall and was solidly built at 200 pounds. He had a deep, circular scar that ran from his eyebrow into his eye socket.

A notorious “key” member of the old Profaci-Colombo Family of Brooklyn, Mimi Scialo was one of the “most” feared members of the Family.

FBI # 577942A, NYCPD # B-227628

He operated primarily in the Brooklyn and Manhattan sections of the city from his social club in Coney Island.

Initially a soldier in the regime of John (Sonny) Franzese, Scialo would serve as Franzese’s first “acting captain” during the mid to late 1960s.

Dominick (Mimi) Scialo

At the time, Sonny was fighting several criminal cases and trying to keep low key, so he put Scialo “upfront.”

Mimi was active in nearly all criminal rackets including gambling, shylocking, extortion, strong-arm, murder, hijacking, and arson. He had a large following and was not only very respected but also very well-liked by his men.

He operated as a well known strong-arm enforcer and killer, and a professional underworld arsonist (known as a “torch”) during the 1950s era.

In 1951, he was charged in a shooting of a local Jewish hood and semi-pro boxer by the name of Allie Gordon, who had a run-in with Mimi and his friend in a local tavern.

They had insulted Gordon with anti-semitic name-calling when Gordon pulled a gun killing Joe Autori and wounding Mimi.

Several months later, Mimi did a drive-by and shot Gordon repeatedly in front of his home, killing him.

Scialo had a long police record with 14 arrests including robbery; assault (three times); gambling; felonious assault; contempt of court; homicide (thrice) by gunshot, beating, and strangulation; unlicensed driver and reckless driving; and suspicion of arson,

In 1958, Scialo came to national attention after two young hoodlums were found shot to death near Coney Island.

One of the hoodlums (Alexander Menditto) survived long enough to make a death bed statement implicating Scialo, hood Angelo (Shelly) Pero, and several others.

They were both viciously beaten with tire irons and motorcycle chains... and one had both his legs shattered before being shot multiple times.

Scialo and Pero went “on the lam”, hiding out for 16 months while the FBI named them nationally on their “Ten Most Wanted List.”

The FBI considered Scialo a very vicious and dangerous hoodlum with large resources...the Profaci Family...which allowed him avoid apprehension.

Side Tidbit: An interesting side tidbit is that the two young hoodlums tortured and killed in 1951 (Menditto and Garofalo), had actually had the audacity and sheer stupidity to raise their hands to Mimi ...a made guy...and shove his head into a toilet bowl flushing it.... any wonder why they got their “buckwheats”?

After almost a year-and-a-half in hiding, Scialo gave himself up.

The double-murder indictment soon fell apart when it was revealed that the “deathbed statement” of Menditto had mysteriously disappeared from police files....Mimi’s associates had “reached” a few detectives who destroyed the evidence after receiving bribe money.

In 1971, he was among dozens of top mobsters charged with criminal contempt for refusing to answer questions about organized crime before a Kings County grand jury.

By the early 1970s, Scialo was at the top of his game...one of the most respected and feared capos in the Family...heading a regime reputed to have had 15 soldiers and 30 to 40 top associates.

He was a possible contender for a position in the Colombo family “administration”... maybe that was the problem.

Although Scialo was a top mafioso, and well-liked by his personal crew, he was also a very brash, loud, and a potentially abusive guy who was easily drawn to violence.

He was becoming maybe “too big for his britches” and not showing the proper decorum to fellow mafiosi.

There were several possible theories put forth for what I’ll describe next.

Scialo had badly insulted Carlo Gambino in public one night in a local restaurant.

He was a “real” threat to the Persico faction to make a move for the boss seat.

And a little known theory is that he had done something very “seriously” insulting against Sonny Franzese while Sonny was away serving a 50-year jail term.

In any case, Mimi disappeared, turning up several weeks later...obviously after informants gave info...under the flooring of a President Street social club in Red Hook.

His badly decomposed body was one of two skeletons found encased under cement.

The year was 1974 and Dominick (Mimi) Scialo was only 47 years old!

It is alleged that Charlie “Moose” Panarella and “Little Joey” Brancato were among the killers.

Until next time..."The Other Guy"

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Dominick (Mimi) Scialo: Feared Colombo Capo

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